goodbyes... travel days... hating LAX... and more travel stories

really? it's october 7th already. i was really really excited up until yesterday and the nerves hit. i know they are a very important function of the body. but it really just is hard.

Here I am at the Nadi, Fiji Airport. I honestly don't know what they call it officially, but I don't think you all care too much.

Last night was pretty much awful(technically, the time zone I'm in now, it wasn't last night)... well it was going well until I had to say Goodbye to my mom, sister, bro-in law, and nieces and nephew. That was hard, and as in an email I wrote to my dad while waiting to board my plane, I wasn't really excited... I was sad and came to the realization of it all. I knew it all along, but it was finally officially real and I kept wondering, what am I doing??... I actually started doubting saturday night. I honestly think it was an attack... whether it was my own emotions just culminating and not letting me sleep OR the devil trying to get down on me... it was real and I had a hard time sleeping at first.

After saying the hard goodbyes, I went through security and got to my gate... found out I could log on to the internet for only eight bucks for twenty four hours, so I figured then I could use it in LA too... perfect! As I waited I browsed the internet and sent a couple emails.
I forget if I called my mom first, or they called me. I think it was that I called them because I realized I was facing Post Road, where they were up on a hill behind watching planes. As I was on the phone with them, Ang beeped through and it was close to boarding time so I said goodbye again. :) When I switched over to talk to Ang quick an announcement was made that there'd be a half hour delay, we finished chatting and said goodbye as well, she had good words for me.
I then sent a text msg. to Pat (bro in law) to go down to the actual post road parking lot because I could see it and thought maybe I'd see them under the lamp post. They did and called, but all I could see was Pat shining the lights from the van. That was enough though... it was fun, I guess they were waving and dancing around or something, wish I could've seen 'em. haha owell.... We eventually boarded, I called them one more time, (i know... sappy? naw, it's just that leaving for 7mos. is a LONG time for someone who hasn't left for more than 2weeks!) and saw the glow of the van lights through the fence and said goodbye.

The girl I sat next to on the plane was really sweet... I was having a hard time still, and when we hit some turbulence and saw lighting, I freaked out a bit. She was really understanding and we chatted for a little while. She grew up in Andover and went to Anoka HS, but graduated four years later. She told me this story that last time she flew there was a HUGE lightning storm, and it was so bad she couldn't even cry... it was just so intense.(you may be wondering why I am writing out numbers, well, I'm not looking at the keyboard at all cuz it gives me a headache when I do and I don't kow the numeber keys very well :)).

I guess I have the punctioations down though. I think I'll be editing this anyways :). ...

Here begins the REAL DRAMA.....
So... Once I got into LAX I went to the New Zealand Air desk and the guy told me I was actually flying on their coooperative airline Air Pacific and I had to a ten minute walk over to Tom Bradley Terminal... quickly. So I did. When I entered the terminal it was mass chaos. I have never been in a more awful airport, even Port au Prince was better than this!! It was nine thirty at night and there were atleast a couple thousand people roaming around and in lines that made no sense to me. I stood in a line for ten minutes that wasn't even where I needed to be, I got to this one point and the security guy said, oh, you need to be way down there at the end. (which where there was NO line!!) I got there and they asked "what's your reason for being late... I was so irritated (as if I could do anything about it), I told them because they're fricken airport is so confusing and my flight from mpls was delayed just slightly. They informed me that my bags might not get to my destination in time and did I want to fly knowing they may not be there... I was like FINE, but I need to be to my destiantion on time, so let's go here. Well, I didn't say all those words exactly, but made it clear that I was not happy... although I don't know how you couldn't know since my cheeks were tear stanined from all of the emotion and chaos and udder lonlieness I felt. I tried to find solice in the phone calls made to my dad and vice versa, but the airport was so friggen loud I could barely hear him(or myself for that matter). Even thinking about the scenario just makes me overwhelmed again.
Going through the security line felt like an eternity, I was so afraid I wouldn't make my flight, apparently I was supposed to be looking for a Air Pacific person with a sign go by to get me closer to the front, but I sure didn't see one pass. I'm glad my cell plan was good until the 9th, because even though there was nobody in flesh, I knew there was my dad at my fingertips to give whatever support he could. I just wrote in the previous paragraph about feeling so alone, but as I look back even though I did feel alone it was so important to have my dad. (fyi: my dad was on business [i think in providence] and my mom was at home... but she would have freaked worse if she heard the worry in my voice... so THANKS DAD! I'm pretty sure it was like 2AM his time)

I finally made it through security and thank God the gate was close. I got there while they were still boarding, made a call to my dad and to my mom and sighed/cried in relief.

I need to board my flight to New Zealand now... more later.

ok... in New Zealand now. Just finished edits to the earlier portion of the post. This one is long... and may be one of the longest that I'll be posting.


(I am sitting here at the base in Mitchelton, Australia.)
I better talk about my Fiji experience now.

I got to Fiji at 5am, so it was still dark out as I walked out of the plane to the terminal. We didn't walk on the tarmack, but they had a walkway outside before reaching the terminal. We were greeted with Fijians playing guitars and yukelielies (sp???), it was pretty humurous. I stood in a line for about 45mins only to be told to sit down and wait because since my flight wasn't leaving for 5 hours it wasn't in the system yet. So, I was in this "interim" place for about 2hours before I could go into the main terminal and eat and relax.... all the while hearing the same songs of the men playing every time a new flight came in. (so, it wasn't as humurous the 5th time)

I finally got through to the main terminal at 7:20am, and proceeded to walk around and look at all the "touristy" shops. (as I am sitting here, I am listening to a girl who is playing her harp and another girl playing the guitar) I realized that I needed some sustinance because the airplane food just wasn't cutting it. I bought a croissant and an iced coffee... the iced coffee was a mistake because I was already a little dehydrated and promptly got a headache and felt a little "dizzy/lightheaded."
I am going to skip most of the time in Fiji because it really wasn't that eventful, just a lot of waiting around, walking around (with my laptop bag that got SO heavy) trying to decide what Fijian trinket I should get... I decided to add to my extensive key-chain collection. I couldn't bring myself to buy any of their carved bowls etc because it's just wierd to buy it at the airport without a good story of where or who it was made by.

From Fiji it was to New Zealand and I sat by some nice folks. I was supposed to have a window seat, but the girl who was in my seat had been bit by a misquito during her stay in Fiji and her arm had been super puffed up and was sore. She didn't want it to get bumped, so I, being the kind person I am, let her sit in my seat. (sorry about the bad punctuation there) I was a bit bummed because I never did get to see the beautfiul waters of Fiji... Owell. They were from New Zealand and were headed home, and told me all about the things to see if I make it to NZ at the end of my DTS. There was a movie playing on that ride so I got to see "No Reservations" (again, but willingly!).

The New Zealand airport is probably my favorite so far, very open and simple. Although my flight was delayed about a half hour, so getting into Brisbane I was late and it was rainy and very turbulent. By that time, I was so sick of flying I just wanted to be done, it was bothersome turbulence, but I was so used to it at that point and continued to pray that His angels would surround the plane as with every other time.

I got through customs with no problems, they didn't even ask for the paperwork that I broght with for the VISA. Smooth sailing... until baggage claim. DOH! It took forever for the bags to get there, and then I waited for about another half hour to find out my bags had been stuck somewhere and didn't get on that flight. GRRR... okay okay.... go with the flow... it's not the end of the world. BUT, after having been traveling for 24hours PLUS, I was tired and just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep. It took awhile trying to find the YWAM people as well. Especially since my flight was delayed and then the whole process with the luggage. I think I was at the Brisbane airport for 2hours. Got to the Base at about 9pm... actually we picked up another girl that had been flying domestic because she came early to travel in New Zealand and then Sydney. It happened to be the other girl I knew who's 25... we connected over email personally and had the same thought about being the "olders" of the group. So, we instantly connected on the ride to the base. It was great. yay... so now I AM excited and even over these last couple hours have had an extreme peace about my bags getting here and just going with the flow. Knowing that this is not ABnormal, especially for missionaries who travel all over. You just have to adapt to the different situations that come up.

I think I'm going to end this post and hopefully in the next day or two will be able to post it!